BAYONNE – The city has announced that a plan for a residential permit parking zone around the Bayonne Bridge to protect downtown residents will soon be introduced. The bridge is currently undergoing a renovation project.

“In recent weeks, Bergen Point residents have complained that Bayonne Bridge contractors’ vehicles have parked in their neighborhoods all day, taking away parking from the people who live there,” said Mayor Mark Smith. “Downtown residents have requested that we find ways to preserve their ability to park by their homes.”

“The best way to do so is to introduce a residential permit parking zone that would enable the residents to park around the clock, while limiting outside vehicles to a restricted amount of time for parking on designated streets,” Smith said. “We need to protect our downtown residents’ ability to park during the Bayonne Bridge construction.”

The proposed residential permit parking zone would run from 1st Street in the south up to North Street, and from Newark Bay in the west to Kennedy Boulevard in the east.

The Bayonne Bridge area zone would be added to the existing permit parking zones in other parts of the city. They were created in response to pressures on neighborhood parking created by the Light Rail system, commuter buses, and the Bayonne Medical Center.

Under the procedures established by the permit parking ordinance, the city engineer will draft plans, and the mayor will review them and advise the council. – Joseph Passantino